1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an extraction cleaning machine. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to an upright extraction cleaning machine with floor illumination. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an upright extraction cleaning machine with suction nozzle illumination. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an upright extraction cleaning machine with agitation chamber transparency and illumination.
2. Description of Related Art
Upright extraction cleaning machines have been used for removing dirt from surfaces such as carpeting, upholstery, drapes and the like. The known extraction cleaning machines can be in the form of a canister-type unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,720 to Blase et al. or an upright unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,977 to McAllise et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,665 to Fitzwater.
A transparent suction nozzle in an extraction cleaner is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. D345,830 to Furcron et al. as well as Fitzwater ""665. U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,271 to Sepke discloses a window for viewing a rotatable brush in an upright vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaners having an illumination source mounted external to the floor-traveling head are also known for illuminating an area of the floor in front of the vacuum cleaner.
According to the invention, a portable surface cleaning apparatus comprises a base module for movement along a surface; an upright handle pivotally attached to the base module; a liquid dispensing system comprising a liquid dispensing nozzle associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned; a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid; a fluid supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying liquid to the dispensing nozzle; a fluid recovery system comprising: a fluid recovery chamber; a suction nozzle associated with the base module; a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the suction nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the suction nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery chamber; and the suction nozzle including a window that is at least partially transparent and an illumination source behind the window.
In a further embodiment, the base module further comprises an opaque upper housing. The base module further comprises a brush housing enclosing an agitation brush. The window forms a portion of a wall of the brush housing and the brush housing is illuminated by the illumination source. The transparent panel is positioned between the illumination source and the brush housing. The illumination source projects through the window to illuminate a portion of a surface to be cleaned.
The base module has a housing which is partially opaque and has a transparent window for viewing a brush chamber in the base module. In one embodiment, the window is removably attached to the housing of the base module by a snap-fit connection. In another embodiment, the window is attached to the housing by screws. Preferably, the window forms a portion of a bottom wall of the working air conduit. An upper wall of the working air conduit is transparent. The brush chamber includes a transparent cover over an illumination source for illuminating the brush chamber. Desirably, the transparent cover is integral with the transparent window and fluidly isolates the illumination source from the brush chamber.
In a further embodiment, the base module has a partially opaque housing with a transparent window for viewing a brush chamber in the base module, and an illumination source in the base module for illuminating the brush chamber, the illumination source and window further configured to illuminate an area of a surface to be cleaned.